Shitamachi Tanabata

The festival is known for its colorful decorations and events that celebrate the annual Tanabata holiday on July 7.

What is Tanabata?

Tanabata is based on the story of two star-crossed lovers who are allowed to meet only once a year, crossing the Milky Way on the seventh day of the seventh month. Today, people celebrate by writing wishes on narrow strips of paper and tying them to bamboo branches.

What happens?

The decorations are usually displayed for several days, while the main festival weekend features parades, performances, and street entertainment.

Past parades have included motorbike processions, police music and performance groups, street performers, jugglers, Awa Odori dance troupes, shamisen players, and taiko drummers.

Schedule 2026

The Tanabata decorations will be put up from July 3 to 7.

The festival program begins on Saturday, July 4, with the main parade starting at 1:15 p.m. Later in the afternoon, at 4 p.m., the Etchu Owara-bushi Association will perform the traditional Etchu Owara-bushi folk song and dance.

Events continue on Sunday, July 5, with a full afternoon of performances. Asakusa Kaminari Ren will perform Awa Odori from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., while the Shitamachi Bon Odori Preservation Society will present Sado Okesa, a traditional folk song from Sado Island, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Additional stage performances will run from noon to 5 p.m.

How to get there

The parade will take place along Kappabashi Hondōri, which runs from next to Asakusa Station to the vicinity of Ueno Station. On the Saturday and Sunday of the festival, it will be a “pedestrian paradise” (closed to regular traffic).